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Tried NA ....ready for surgery
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02/14/2009 14:34
Joetutro

not registered

02/14/2009 14:34
Joetutro

not registered

Re: Tried NA ....ready for surgery

I can't speak to your experience with Dr. Eaton's NA procedure, only mine. I have had surgery on my "pinkie", thank you very much. The first operation was botched. The "repair" resulted in little to no improvement. The cost to my now permanently damaged and weakened hand is $60,000. Eight months of moderate to severe pain and five months of useless therapy.
Needless to say, never again will I consider surgery. So when I needed relief for Dupuytren's in my left ring finger, I did my research this time. I opted for Dr. Charles Eaton performing NA.
To say I am thrilled is a gross understatement. Immediate and total relief. Absolutely no pain after the hand was anesthetisized.
Talk about happy! I would rather have this procedure done than go to the dentist! And the cost? Six hundred dollars, plus the usual charge for the initial office visit paper work. I'm sorry you consider this wonderful procedure "an expensive band-aid", but wish you well on your surgery.
To those who are considering surgery: Surgery should be considered only as a last, desperate resort. NA should be your first line of defense, and have the procedure done early. So what if the procedure has to be repeated every 4-5 years? I can have this procedure repeated for the rest of my life for a total cost far less than the cost than a single surgery - and with no post op pain and no complications.

02/14/2009 23:12
jwag4646 
02/14/2009 23:12
jwag4646 
Re: Tried NA ....ready for surgery

CALLIE...not yet. still have stitches. 3 weeks total for stitches. plus i have an open incision area in the pinkie middle joint that is going to take time to heal. this was not stitched to help in the release. all in all i may pretty happy with the results thus far. i am really working on my exercises and splinting. i'm in Phys Therapy 3x wk

02/15/2009 02:08
newman 
02/15/2009 02:08
newman 

Re: Tried NA ....ready for surgery

Australia Calling. Dont overdo the exercise it is possible to break the stitches and open the wound. Slow easy stretching and try to progressively make a fist, assisting with pressure on the fingers. My surgeon recommended concentrated Vitamin E creme to assist in the healing and reduce the scar tissue. Great to hear you are doing well. Regards.

Edited 02/15/09 04:09

02/15/2009 16:44
jwag4646 
02/15/2009 16:44
jwag4646 
Re: Tried NA ....ready for surgery

newman...........thanks for the post. i am doing GENTLE exercises for sure. i have 34 stitches. i massage the stitches 3 times a day with Neosporin to help with the scare tissue. 3 weeks seems a long time for stitches but the Dr said he wanted a good heal and plus going through PT range of motion really challenges the hand. the 17th (Tues.) will be 2 weeks post-op. 1 more week of stitches. it seems to be healing well except for the area in the middle pinkie joint that is an open wound. with exercise it just reopens. slow healing for sure. i assume that was done to allow for maximum extension.... good luck to all of the fellow DC'ers

02/15/2009 21:37
callie 
02/15/2009 21:37
callie 
Re: Tried NA ....ready for surgery

I only went to therapy twice. My surgeon said it wasn't necessary if I did the exercises on my own. The most important procedure I did was wrapping the fist with the elastic self adhering Ace bandages for 10 minutes at a time. I would wrap it as tight as I could and put the bandage, like a rubber band, around the fist. I would reuse the wrap several times. The fist just got tighter and tighter each week. After each 10 minutes I would stretch the fingers as straight as possible.

Also, get into the habit of flexing the fingers throughout the day. I always carried Aveeno lotion with me so the skin/scar never dried out. One thing I remember my surgeon saying was that I couldn't do damage to anything by pushing the exercises too much. He said that it wasn't a big deal if the stitches tore loose. The big deal he said was not exercising the scar tissue to keep it loose. The problem starts if the wound is allowed to tighten and become inflexible. Again, after 7 years my finger is as good as before Dupuytren's, zero contraction.

02/16/2009 09:31
TrevB 
02/16/2009 09:31
TrevB 

Re: Tried NA ....ready for surgery

The above post and the one that starts this page just show how difficult decision making is with deciding which way you want to go with Dups

Cambidgeshire, UK.

02/16/2009 17:05
jwag4646 
02/16/2009 17:05
jwag4646 
Re: Tried NA ....ready for surgery

TrevB,
I agree. It is not a simple decision either way you go. I just felt that my pinkie was beyond the NA precedure again as did my surgeon. I know surgeons make money doing surgery and some do procedures sometimes not warranted. My Dr. is a friend of our family and was pretty open and honest about what was needed and what to expect. I know alot of people have had GREAT success with NA and and in alot of cases the prcedure does little to diseased fascia.

Callie,

Hey, thanks for the tip in wrapping the hand in a fist with elastic bandage. I have tried it several times and will continue to. I am going to ask my PT about it today. I don't see how it could have a negative benefit. I have been using a heating pad with a wet towel to warm hand prior to exercise and stretches. Again, thanks for your input.

02/17/2009 01:34
callie 
02/17/2009 01:34
callie 
Re: Tried NA ....ready for surgery

jwag4646,

The use of the wrap was gentle for the first three/four weeks. I progressively tightened the wrap as I could feel more flexibility returning. Never did I wrap to where it was painful. But, it was encouraging to feel the flexibility slowly return. Eventually I was closing my fist on my own and extending the fingers straight. Then, just out of habit, I was flexing the fingers all the time during the day.

02/17/2009 08:06
newman 
02/17/2009 08:06
newman 

Re: Tried NA ....ready for surgery

Australia Calling. Hi Callie and jwag4646. The point you make about exercise is a very valid point. I found the movement obtained in the first weeks was what I was going to finish up with. However I've had many surgeries. In the first weeks you are basically convalesing and not doing much so keep flexing the fingers whilst resting the hand ,up around you shoulder.I had my stitches out earlier and each morning I would trymaking a fist in the warm water, bathe the wound and remove any dried up tissue. Dry the hand and cover with Hydrofix for protection. With regards to your open wound on the pinky have you thought of using a small strip of Hydrofix ( like a flexible bandaid ) Usually sold in a roll and you cut to size.)Apply a small amount of Vit.E on the open wound and then cover with the Hydrofix or similiar. It will help the wound heal together, but still allow movement. You dont want to develope a Keloid. Very painful scar tissue. Regards


Edited 02/17/09 10:12

02/21/2009 16:41
jwag4646 
02/21/2009 16:41
jwag4646 
Re: Tried NA ....ready for surgery

just an update.........after almost 3 weeks of a palm and 2 fingers full of stitches(34 to be exact!) they are coming out Monday morning. My PT says she likes the progress thus far and will implement more aggressive therapy once the stitches are out. I'm really looking at the NA procedure on the left hand as it is not at the stage now my right hand was. Has anyone heard of Dr. David Hildreth in the Houston, Tx area doing the NA procedure? From what I have researched he is a top notch hand specialist and does a very through NA procedure in the hospital. I had a NA procedure by Dr. Eaton about 4 years ago and the expense of traveling was quite costly. Let me know if anyone has any knowledge or information on Dr. Hildreth.

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recurrence   socialsecurity-disability   fingers   procedure   Cambidgeshire   Dupuytren   recovery   contracture   patients   Fasciectomy   exercises   degrees   surgery   Hildreth   diseased   stitches   experience   surgeon   cortisone   therapy